Fewer Ohio Inmates Granted Parole

According to a new report from the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee, over the past 16 years, the number of Ohio inmates released on parole per year has dropped from thousands to dozens, and just 8.793 prisoners remain under the Ohio Parole Board’s jurisdiction.

In 1998, 5,488 prisoners were paroled, and in 2013, 61 were paroled after serving an average 18 years in prison.

Two decades ago, Ohio overhauled its criminal sentencing laws. Previously, the parole board oversaw the possible release of inmates after serving a minimum sentence. In 1996, that changed when a new law eliminated parole eligibility for most offenders, imposing a flat-time sentence instead of a minimum/maximum range.

Inmates sentenced under the old law continue to be parole-eligible. This is leaving only the worst case offenders in prison.